Adam Voigt

A passionate advocate for teachers and school leaders, Adam Voigt is an education leader and expert on building healthy school cultures, education leadership and restorative practices.

Adam’s work as a School Principal in some of Australia’s toughest locations underpins every element of his practice. He reeks credibility and the humour, stories and hope behind his evidence-based approach mean his message rings true with audiences everywhere.

Author of the acclaimed book, Restoring Teaching, and creator of the teaching methodology he calls ‘RP2.0,’ Adam has taken to print his mission to transform education in Australia – one school at a time.

Adam also takes critical messages about schools, learning, culture and leadership and elevates action in the education system through his groundbreaking education business, Real Schools.

Adam speaks widely, both locally and internationally. His presentations are high-impact, engaging, provocative and exude a clear bias for change.

He has delivered a TEDx Talk titled ‘The Importance of How’ and is a regular guest on Sunrise, The Project and other programs.

Adam has a passion for empowering as many leaders and educators as possible with the tools, skills and attitudes necessary to build meaningful, productive relationships in Australia’s schools… and for those relationships to be leveraged to accelerate student learning and growth.

But his strongest motivator is his mission to support educators in the critical role they play in building a brighter future for Australia.

Adam Voigt Talks About

You Had One Job

Synopsis: Do you remember a time when a School Leader’s job seeme simple and straight forward? It was, you know… to lead the school! But somewhere across the years we absorbed an inordinate number of ancillary responsibilities as educators and now it can feel as though we’re not specialising, making a difference in what matters or even working in our purpose. That needs to stop.

This high-energy and provocative presentation will challenge you to re-imagine your school leadership as a leader of school culture. That really can be your ‘one job’ if we get clear on what culture is, how it underpins every school objective, how it promotes strong practice, optimises wellbeing and why it’s the practical work you
were born to do in your school every single day.

The Restorative Future of Student Engagement

Synopsis: Teaching and School Leadership isn’t easy at the moment. Amidst converging challenges like teacher shortages, expanding workloads, parental mistrust and student conduct issues, it can be hard to remember why we signed up for this profession sometimes. But there’s a better way for us to meet these challenges.

Practicing restoratively is an opportunity for a new level of teacher effect, reduced stress levels, meaningful work and elevated impact. And even better – it engages the students at an exponentially higher level. Sound good? This presentation is packed with practicality, provocation, laughter and story. Best of all, you’ll
leave with strategies you can use with success immediately.

Leading School Culture

Synopsis: School Culture is a topic on the lips of most contemporary Australian School Leaders. And while most agree on the importance of culture, few are clear or in agreement on what school culture actually is.

In this presentation, Adam will provide a simple and practical definition of School Culture and provide an insight into a framework that can be implemented easily and efficiently in schools to support their culture. Adam’s contention is that an upgraded version of practicing restoratively – that he calls RP2.0 – is the key to creating a learning environment where all stakeholders can thrive and where the wellbeing of the staff is both respected and nurtured.

The Truth about Student Behaviour

Synopsis: In this highly engaging 60-minute collaborative workshop, Adam will walk participants through everything you wished you knew about why students do what they do in learning environments.

The key to strategising successfully in the classroom is to fully understand your context, your students and what exactly is happening in their brains. What will surprise you is how small the resultant shifts are and how significant the return can be for teachers. Even when we encounter students who present as lazy, irresponsible or disrespectful – improvement is within your reach.

A Classroom Climate for Excellence

Synopsis: In this 90-minute presentation, Adam will walk you through a practical frame for knowing what classroom climate is, how you’ve already been creating one and the changes within your sphere of influence that you can deploy to gear your classroom for excellence.

We’ll discuss the challenges we find on making practice shifts and how our delightful plans are at the mercy of our students. And we’ll discuss simple ways to navigate students who don’t share our ambitions for excellence. Finally, we’ll dispel the myth that classroom presence is a gift that some have and others don’t. You’ve got this… all of you!

Leading a Restorative School

Synopsis: Adam’s contention is that an upgraded version of practicing restoratively – which he calls RP2.0 – is the key to creating a learning environment where all stakeholders can thrive and where the wellbeing of the staff is both respected and nurtured. This engaging and optimistic workshop will arm you with practical tools for getting started in your school, but also valuable insights as to benefits of long-term integration of a restorative school culture

School Culture in Focus

Synopsis: School Culture is a topic on the lips of most contemporary Australian School Leaders. And while most agree on the importance of culture, few are clear or in agreement on what school culture actually is. In this presentation, Adam will provide a simple and practical definition of School Culture and also introduce a framework that can be implemented easily and efficiently in schools to support your ambitions for a safe, relational, highly performing and productive School Culture.

Thriving in Teaching from the Start

Synopsis: Teaching these days isn’t easy … but nothing so worthwhile ever has been. Adam wants you to have a long, fruitful and rewarding career in the classroom and, in this presentation, he’s determined that you’re pointed in the right direction armed with the tools and tactics that underpin success. Many think that there must be a huge list of “must do’s” for teachers to engage with to thrive in challenging times, but they’re wrong. You’re going to be surprised by how simple and easy the most impactful strategies for teacher effect and wellbeing really are.

Cultivating Culture: Why Strong School Cultures Thrive in Challenging Times

Synopsis: It was the people all along wasn’t it? We can have plans, goals, ambitions, targets, programs and strategies if we wish, but without safe and well people they mean little. When times are hard, it’s schools and leaders who are determined and prioritised around a high-expectation, relational and personal culture that thrive. These leaders put the people first as more than just an intention, they make cultural leadership their priority. What does it look like to place culture at the top of your school’s improvement agenda? That’s a topic worth exploring.

The Restorative Future of Teaching

Synopsis: Teaching and School Leadership isn’t easy at the moment. Amidst converging challenges like teacher shortages, expanding workloads, parental mistrust and student conduct issues, it can be hard to remember why we signed up for this profession sometimes. But there’s a better way for us to meet these challenges. If we can discover a simple and explicit practice for framework that respects the business and busy-ness of an Australian school, wouldn’t that help? And if it saved every educator time while improving their effectiveness, wouldn’t that be even better. Adam’s ‘RP2.0’ is that framework and you deserve this glimpse into its incredible potentials.

The Future of Your School’s Relational Culture

Synopsis: Teaching and School Leadership isn’t easy at the moment. Amidst converging challenges like teacher shortages, expanding workloads, parental mistrust and student conduct issues, it can be hard to remember why we signed up for this profession sometimes. But there’s a better way for us to meet these challenges. If we can put some useful truths in the hands of our educators about creating cultures in which we can all thrive, the future for your school can be bright and hopeful. This keynote presentation is an inspiring, humourous and thought-provoking handing over of those truths to you in a way the you can practically activate them in your school immediately.

The Five Behaviours of the Reflective School Leader

Synopsis: Adam’s research and observations into School Culture Leadership have led him to synthesise the behaviours that are most common in leaders that succeed in developing cultures where stakeholders thrive — and they might not be the behaviours you’re expecting.

Beyond the usual catchphrases and quotes about what great leaders should aspire to are some far more simple practices that you can ritualise and be renowned for. The demonstration of these behaviours then becomes something we can reflect upon and adjust with daily ease. And of course, you then need to know how to reflect for those adjustments rather than for pointless personal judgements.

In this session, Adam will leave you with contemporary insights into how exemplary leaders conduct themselves, with a bias for you being able to make small, powerful behavioural shifts immediately.

Leading Learner Agency: Opportunities and Challenges

Synopsis: Student Agency and Student Voice earn a mention in almost every school’s strategic plans. But what really are these terms and what does a school who meets these objectives really do?

This presentation will engage School Leaders in some provocations in regard to our misconceptions about Student Agency and how we’ve stepped in the wrong direction from these misconceptions. But further, we’ll be uncovering some simple, practical and implementable ways to elevate the voice and engagement of all students in the learning and engagement ambitions of your school.

The Mythical Same Page: How to Teach Together

Synopsis: Almost every Australian school has the intention to get everyone on the same page about practice. So why aren’t we on the page yet? And why does this page seem so hard to write and agree to? Well, in this inspiring and practical keynote presentation Adam Voigt will describe a simpler way to consider practice in your learning environment. He’ll speak to strategies related to small shifts in teaching language, conduct and mindset that have the most significant opportunities for a return on the investment of your time and effort. But more than this, Adam will show you how your entire school can be led onto this mythical same page. It’s time for us to be clear, consistent and effective when it comes to engaging young people.